4.4.5 Debates
This involves choosing a controversial topic; one speaker presents one point of view on the topic and a second speaker presents a differing opinion. Debates are good at
advanced levels. It’s a good idea to give some input on the topic matter first. For example, you could do a listening or reading activity on the same subject. Give
students time to prepare what they will say; you might even prompt them by giving them ideas on the topic and outlining common opinions. Students can prepare in
groups and practise the debates in groups before they present to the whole class. Students can ask each other questions after the presentation and vote on which
opinion is the most convincing.
4.4.6 Spontaneous conversations
Sometimes real uncontrolled conversation breaks out in class. This can be where students communicate something about themselves that others are interested in
something the student did at the weekend, a film they saw, a place they visited. If time allows, it is good to allow this type of conversation to continue because it has a
real communicative purpose. The teacher’s role throughout is to prompt, help with language or communication difficulties. Correction should be kept to a minimum and
carried out at the end of the discussion. This type of conversation can be excellent when it is spontaneous but it works less well if the teacher contrives to make it happen.
4.4.7 Role play
This involves students taking on a role and carrying out a discussion with each person playing their role. For example, the local council wishes to introduce a new system and
location for dumping waste. Some students play local councillors, others are local residents, others are members of an environmental organisation and others are
managers and employees of the company being asked to carry out the work. The teacher describes and sets up the situation. The students prepare in groups, those
playing the same roles prepare together. They then form new groups to carry out the discussion.
Tips and advice for role plays:
choose the topic carefully because if students don’t have anything to say, the role play won’t work;
this type of activity can take a long time to set up; the preparation phase is essential if the activity is to work well. Don’t be tempted to skip preparation to save time;
the time needed for input of the topic and language as well as preparation, the actual role play and feedback means that you need to allow a lot of time. Don’t
expect to be able to do a role play quickly;
during feedback after a role play it is important to comment on the content of what was said as well as on language used.
If you want to introduce an element of role play without making it into a long and extended exercise, incorporate the work into a reading or listening skills lesson. After
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reading a text or listening to a recording, students role play a television interviewer and one of the characters from the text or recording. Interviewers prepare questions
together in groups; interviewees flesh out the character in groups. Students then pair up as one interviewer and one interviewee.
4.4.8 Problem solving: reorganising the zoo
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